• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.163-209
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• 2011

This study empirically analyzes whether political rent-seeking behavior exits in Korea. The empirical analysis shows that there is a cyclical decline in aggregate revenue immediately following the election year. However, when using other aggregate fiscal variables including aggregate revenue, fiscal balance, tax and public burden ratio, no such cyclical deterioration are found. By sector, the expenditures of the economic affairs show a cyclical increase in the year right after the election. In addition, as the ratio of ruling party senators to total senators is high, the expenditures of the economic affairs tend to increase more and this tendency becomes more stronger right after the presidential election year. Such a result turns out to be consistent even when the expenditure was analyzed separately from the mandatory and discretionary expenditures by sector. This is a testimony to the existence of political rent-seeking behavior in Korea.